In Evolve's development process, designing the towering Monsters would be where, you might think, the design team would get to flex their creative muscles the most. But developer Turtle Rock Studios aimed to make the Hunter gameplay just as unique, and designing that half of the game led them to create characters who were simultaneously new and fresh yet recognizable and comfortable.
Evolve Wants You To Name Its Fourth Monster
In a new behind the scenes video, which you can check out below, Evolve developers talk with industry veteran Adam Sessler about designing the game's cast of Hunters. At launch, there will be 12 playable Hunters – 11 of which have already been announced – with 12 unique gameplay styles, and Turtle Rock has made sure that these Hunters provide enough variety to keep the game interesting for players long after launch.
In the video, the design team talks about the goal in designing these Hunters: starting with archetypes that most gamers will feel comfortable with while putting in new gameplay mechanics that will make sure Evolve is still a unique experience. For example, the Assault class member Markov fits in with any game that includes a damage-dealing Russian. Listening to his character speak should be immediately familiar to anyone who is used to playing as the Heavy in Team Fortress 2. His weapon, however, is a new twist on the trope. The Lightning Gun is a unique close-range attack that can arc to hit not only the target, but surrounding enemies as well.
All Evolve DLC Maps Will Be Available For Free
Other trope-twisting Hunters include Lazarus, a Medic that can raise allies from the dead while also dealing damage as a stealth-focused sniper. Caira's grenade launcher can deal damage in an area and then turn around and heal teammates in an area, turning grenades into a support weapon instead of just an offensive one. Each Hunter that Evolve has to offer is a product of this same spirit of providing new takes on old archetypes.
Evolve will release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on February 10.